First Nations People

First Nations Australians have a high rate of kidney disease. Learn how to keep your kidneys stronger for longer.

Your kidneys play an important role. They help clean your blood, control your blood pressure, create urine, and manage vitamin D production. Poor kidney function can create waste build-up in the body – which can lead to kidney disease or failure.

Unfortunately, kidney disease is very common in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 1 in 5 are likely to develop kidney disease – that’s double the rate of the rest of the Australian population. Sick kidneys often happen together with diabetes and high blood pressure, which is also common in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. To help, here are some tips on how to keep healthy and reduce the risk of kidney disease. If you already have sick kidneys, you can slow down the disease by taking these steps.

Actions you can take

There are safer and less safe levels of drinking for all Australians. For healthy adults, the Department of Health says:

To reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury for healthy men and women, drink no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day.
The less you choose to drink, the lower your risk of alcohol-related harm. For some people, not drinking at all is the safest option.